Effects of myosin light chain phosphorylation on length-dependent myosin kinetics in skinned rat myocardium

Myosin force production is Ca2+-regulated by thin-filament proteins and sarcomere length, which together determine the number of cross-bridge interactions throughout a heartbeat. Ventricular myosin regulatory light chain-2 (RLC) binds to the neck of myosin and modulates contraction via its phosphorylation state. Previous studies reported regional variations in RLC phosphorylation across the left ventricle wall, suggesting that RLC phosphorylation could alter myosin behavior throughout the heart. We found that RLC phosphorylation varied across the left ventricle wall and that RLC phosphorylation was greater in the right vs. left ventricle. We also assessed functional consequences of RLC phosphorylation on Ca2+-regulated contractility as sarcomere length varied in skinned rat papillary muscle strips. Increases in RLC phosphorylation and sarcomere length both led to increased Ca2+-sensitivity of the force-pCa relationship, and both slowed cross-bridge detachment rate. RLC-phosphorylation slowed cross-bridge rates of MgADP release (∼30%) and MgATP binding (∼50%) at 1.9 μm sarcomere length, whereas RLC phosphorylation only slowed cross-bridge MgATP binding rate (∼55%) at 2.2 μm sarcomere length. These findings suggest that RLC phosphorylation influences cross-bridge kinetics differently as sarcomere length varies and support the idea that RLC phosphorylation could vary throughout the heart to meet different contractile demands between the left and right ventricles.